Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-01-29
An Army Hero.

From the Washington Star
'Didn't you see Randall when he was here
on the Humphreys court-nartial:' asked one
army officer of another day OF so ago in
| surprised tone.
sYou know Randall, don't you!" contin-
ued the speaker, turning to a Star reporter.
stNo? well you ought to. He would be a
gold mine for newspaper man if he could
be induced to talk of his many experiences.
Who is hes Only Captain 6. M. Randall of
| the Twenty-third infantry, but he ought to
| be brigadier- general. His bravery and
| gallant services in any army in Europe would
| have entitled him to have his coat literally
covered with medals and decorations. Ran
| dali has few equals" Here the second Off
Ger broke in to add his tribute to the gallan-
| try and worth of the soldier referred to in
| equally complimentary terms.
81 well remember the services he rem
dered before Petersburg" continued the
| first speaker. ''He saved the Union forces
/ from very disastrous defeat"
| ''How was it?" asked the Star man, be
| ginning to grow interested at the prospect
| of good story.
"Randall was in command of a New
York regiment of heavy artillery at that
SIEGE" said the son of Mars, settling bach
in a comfortable chair, with Retrospective
look On his face. ''He was stationed right
between Forts He'll and Damnation. 1t was
the very worst place in the line. and the
troops in that locality were subjected to 6
| continuous and deadly fire. A fellow couldn't
| stick his head above the breastworks with
out great danger of being dropped. One
night when everything was comparatively
| quiet terrific explosion occurred right in
| the midst of our forces. The rebs had ex.
ploded mine under us. giving us a taste
| of the same medicine we had administered
to them a day two previous. The ex
plosion was followed by a vigorous attack
of the enemy, with the most demoralizine
effect A good portion of our force was
| composed of negroes. They were scared
nearly to death and fled like SO many
| sheep. To tell the truth the whites were
| not far behind them. Randall, who was
quietly sleeping in his tent when the explo-
| sion occurred, rushed out in his night-shirt
only to see his men and all the other troops
| driven in every direction by the advancing
| enemy. He at once began endeavoring to
| bring order out of chaos. His loud and
| commanding voice soon attracted attention,
| and his men, who knew him and respected
| him well, at once hocked about him. In
little while he had collected small but
| determined force of men ready to follow
him anywhere He swung his forces around
with wonderful rapidity and directed fierce
| and desperate attack on the flank and rear of
| the enemy, completely surprising and rout-
| ing them. The victory that they had within
| their grasp ives snatched from them by the
| courage and presence of mind of single
| man. If it had not been for G.. M. Randall
| Petersburg would not have been taken, and
| been President. That's pretty broad state
ment, but believe it from the bottom of my
/ soul. He had lots of experiences during the
war that, if written without the slightest exag-
geration, would sound like fiction of the most
| extreme kind"